Button



(No Model.) 0. W. KETOHUM.

BUTTON.

Patented Mar. 30, 1897.

OLIVER W. KETCHUM, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

BUTTON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 579,831, dated March30, 1897.

Application filed October 22, 1896. Serial No. 609,677. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLIVER W. KETCHUM, a subject of the Queen of GreatBritain, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have inventeda certain new and useful Improvement in Buttons, of which the followingis a specification, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings.

This improvement relates to that class of buttons provided with a hollowshank having a cross-bar or bridge at the bottom; and the inventionconsists in the peculiar construction, arrangement, and combinations ofparts hereinafter more particularly described, and then definitelyclaimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of one formof my button, looking from beneath. Fig. 2 is a similar View of anotherform of thesam'e. Fig. 3 is a plan showing the button illustrated inFig. 1 attached to av garment by a metallic fastener. Fig.4is a centralcross-section through Fig. 3 parallel with the prongs of the fastener.Fig. 5is a similar section of a button such as is shown in Fig. 2 sewedon with thread. Fig. 6 is a similar section of a button with a slightlydifferent form of bar. Fig. 7 is a perspective View of a fastenerdetached. Fig. 8 is a similar view of the prongs of the fastener.

Referring now to the details of the drawings by numerals, andparticularly to Figs. 1, 3, 4, 6, and 7 1 represents the body of thebutton having an oblong shank 2, at the bottom of which is a cross-baror bridge 3, connecting the two sides of the shank, leavingcomparatively large-sized holes 4 on each side of said bar. As will beseen in Figs. 1

and 4, the cross-bar is perfectly round, which is caused by curvingunder the cross-bar partof the metal punched from the holes 4 and soforming the punch by which the bar is shaped that the upper part of thelatter shall be pressed round also.

The fastener consists of three partsviz., a cap 5, a disk 6, havingholes or notches 7, and the staple or prongs 8, whose lower ends areconnected by a cross-bar 9, preferably formed by bending wire into astaple, and then flattening the connecting part or crossbar, as shown inFig. 8.

To assemble the fastener, the prongs 8 are put through the holes in thedisk 6 and the two set in the cap 5, whose edges are then turned overthe disk, as shown in Figs. 4and 7, whereby the three parts are firmlysecured together, so as to be in eifect one solid piece.

To fasten the button to a garment, the prongs of the fastener are passedthrough the fabric and into the holes between the bridge and shank, andthe ends of the prongs are then turned down over the bridge, as shown inFig. 4, by the aid of any suitable tool, by which means the button issecurely fastened to the garment.

It is evident that the button thus far described may be sewed on also,if preferred, but where the button is intended to be sewed on only itmay be made as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, in which the bar or bridge isonly partially cylindrical in form with curved part uppermost.

In some cases I may make the bar as shown in Fig. 6--that is to say,with the edges only rounded or inclined. In making these edges round bythe process of stamping the metal is condensed, and thus the bar isconsiderably strengthened rather than weakened, as it wouldbe if themetal were cut away to make the edges of the bar round. A button made inthe form shown in Fig. 6 may be either sewed on or secured bya prongedfastener, as in the case of the button shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4.

The flattened or oblong shank of the button has the followingadvantages:

First. It forms a means. for guiding the button through an attaching-machine, so that the prongs of the fastener will be sure to enter theshank in the proper position.

Second. The inner sides of the oblong shank form guides for the prongsof the fastener, so that they will lie parallel in the shank when turneddown, thus forming a neat finish, whereby the necessity of a cap tocover up the prongs is avoided.

Third. With the oblong shank the bridge is much shorter and is thu sstronger than when it extends across a wider space.

Fourth. If the opening between the sides of the hollow shank is rathernarrower than the combined width of the two prongs, the sides of theshank will tend to bind on the sides of the prongs and hold them fastwhen pressed down, whereby smaller wire may be used for forming theprongs, which in turn will allow of a narrower shank being used.

Fifth. An oblong shank does not distort the buttonhole so much as around shank, inasmuch as the former may be secured to the garmentlengthwise of the buttonhole.

Sixth. An oblong shank allows of large openings being made for thethread, so that a large quantity of thread may be used for sewing it on,enough to entirely prevent the button ever coming off under the greatestpossible strain likely to be exerted on it.

Seventh. By setting the long diameter of the shank parallel with thelength of the buttonhole the entire wear due to the friction of the wallof the buttonhole comes upon the button, and thus the wearing away ofthe thread due to the friction of the bnttonhole is avoided.

The peculiar form of the bar has these advantages, viz: When madecylindrical, it is adapted to be secured to articles of clothing eitherby means of fasteners or sewing, as when sewed on the round uppersurface prevents the cutting of the thread, and when the fastener is tobe used the round under side will tend to guide the prongs in the rightdirection should they accidentally come in contact with the under sideof the bar. The same remarks apply to the button shown in Fig. 6.

Another advantage is that by making the cross-bar curved or cylindricalin cross-section it is much strengthened, so that very thin metal may beused.

While I prefer that the inner sides of the shank shall bear upon theprongs after they are turned down, I do not limit myself to thisfeature, as the fastener will hold without it, and while I consider itadvisable that the prongs of the fastener lie parallel with each otherand the central line of the oblong shank I do not wish to be understoodas limiting myself in all cases to such an arrangement as will make saidparts exactly parallel with each other, as a good result may be had evenif they vary slightly from such parallel arran gement.

In using the word inclined in the claims hereinafter made I mean toinclude either a curved or straight inclined surface, as it is obviousthat either may be used, although I prefer a curved or cylindricalsurface.

lVhat I claim as new is- 1. As an improved article of manufacture, abutton having a hollow oblong shank and a cross-bar at the bottomthereof free from sharp edges, substantially as described.

2. As an improved article of manufacture, a button having an oblonghollow shank and a cross-bar at the bottom thereof, provided withinclined upper edges to avoid cutting the thread, substantially asdescribed.

3. The combination with a two-pronged fastener, of a button having anoblong hollow shank and a bridge at its bottom and adapted to guide theprongs of the fastener parallel with each other as they are turned down,substantially as described.

4. As an improved article of manufacture, a button having asubstantially flat face, a hollow shank round at the top and oblongbelow, and a bridge connecting the bottom of the sides of the shank,substantially as described.

5. The combination with a button, having a hollow oblong shank 2 andbridge 3, of a fastener comprising the cap 5, disk 6, and wire prongs 8connected by a flattened bar 9, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in the presence of twowitnesses, this 17th day of October, 1800.

OLIVER KETCIIUM.

\Vitnesses:

T. J. W. ROBERTSON, W. E. CLENDANIEL.

